Diaper



C. MARC my 194m DIAPEH Filed March 14, 1940 Patented May 20, 1941 NITED STATES EATEN'I' OFFICE DIAPEB.

Cleopatra Marcos, St. Paul, Minn. Application March 14, 1940, Serial No. 323.932

(Cl. 12S-284) 2 Claims.

My invention relates to garments in general and more specifically to washable breech-cloths commonly known as diapers.

The main object is to provide a highly eicient, easily applied, and inexpensive diaper embodying certain improvements such that one size of diaper is adaptable for use on babies of considerable difference in size, the device being also applicable to children in general and in modiiied form is applicable under certain conditions to persons beyond infancy or childhood.

Another object is to eliminate the' use of safety pins entirely, certain other means herein described being provided for quickly and conveniently putting on or removing a diaper, to fit snugly without binding around the body and upper leg parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- Fig. i is an inside elevation of a preferred embodiment of my improved diaper and Fig. 2 is an opposite or outside elevation of same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the diaper as applied, portions of a childs body and legs being shown dotted.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modied form of the diaper in reduced scale and showing a modified form of application of the diaper.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, like characters designating corresponding parts in the various views, this gai-ment comprises a rectangular cloth designated 6 as a whole, which may be double thickness and sewed together on a central line 6, or it may be mainly a single thickness (Fig. 4) with certain reenforcing pieces l'i sewed thereon. In any case the preferred material used is known generally as diaper cloth or any suitable soft surfaced material of other designation used.

The upper short edge of the cloth is hemmed as indicated by the stitch lines 1 forming a transverse tube at said edge and in which tube is retained a pair of draw-ribbons BR and 8L of which BR is inserted at the right and its inner end secured near the opposite opening. Likewise ribbon 8L is inserted from the leit and fixed near opposite opening. Thus the two ribbons overlap each other within the tube said part of the diaper comprising the rear half or back belt of a diaper normally at the back waist part of an infant, it being assumed that the child is laid lengthwise on the diaper with its crotch at about the middle part of the diaper.

A number of friction snaps are used in this improved diaper, such as used for example on gloves. In the drawing the socket parts of such snaps are illustrated with a double circle and the prong or button part indicated by single circles.

At each of the upper corners of the diaper (on inside face) is sewed a snap button 8.- At the corresponding lower corners (on outside surface) is secured .a corresponding pair of snap sockets 8S.

The first step in putting on this diaper is to draw, the lower part of the diaper up, in the crotch of thebaby, until the lower edge of the diaper has been brought into alinement with the hemmed upper edge part of the diaper (under the baby) the latter part being pulled up snug against opposite sides of and forwardly, as the upper corners of the diaper are brought simultaneously into proximity of the respective corners having the buttons 9. Thus a snap socket 9S and button Bare brought close together at each side and connected and said edge parts encircle the childs body. If the connections thus made leave the diaper too loose the draw-ribbons BR and 8L are brought forward on the childs stomach and tied as at 8T (Fig. 3) to encircle the childs body as snugly as desired. In Fig. 3 the snap at left side of the body is shown disconnected.

Obviously this upward folding of the diaper and connections, provides at both sides outlets or openings for legs of the child. Each such opening may be made of a size according to the size of the leg, by the following means.

Below each upper corner at a predetermined distance at each side edge, is provided a pair of snap buttons lil, on inner side, and just below these a single snap-socket IIS, on the outer side, the latter for removably retaining each the upper end of a garter I2, each such garter provided with a snap button Il.

Each pair of snap buttons I0, below connected upper rim part of the diaper at each side is connectible with any pair of the nearest snap sockets I3 arranged in groups and in the vicinity of the lower corners of the diaper (on its outer side) as best shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. In Fig. 2 these groups of sockets are designated IBR. and I3L comprising an upper row of 4 sockets adjacent corresponding edges of the diaper, each such row extending inward on an incline from the edge. A corresponding row of sockets MR and HL extend from the corresponding lower corner parts of the diaper.

Taking for example the partially folded diaper in Fig. 4 it is obvious that the pair of buttons I0 may be connected for example to a pair of the .lower sockets 13R indicated by the connecting pair of brackets designated by the numeral l5.`

'The groups or rows oi snap sockets extending inwardly from respective sides or edges of the diaper may be engaged in pairs as described and selectively according to the proportions of the childs belly part and thus directly providing for snug fit around'the childs body and simultaneously providing proper proportion or size of opening at each side for the childs leg, as clearly i1- lustrated in Fig. 3.

When the diaper is thus fitted on the child the snap socket HS at each side is in convenient exposed position over the leg to be connected by the upper end part of a garter l2 which is thus positioned to engage with its catch the upper end part of a stocking IB (per Fig. 3).

In Fig. 4 the diaper illustrated is of single thickness of material and otherwise of same proportions and appearance as the double thickness type. However this type is preferably reenforced inthe areas of the snap socket groups I3 and M by sewing onto said parts anl auxiliary piece of goods l1 in which parts the snap sockets are sewed on as shown. v

Fig. 4 illustrates also how the lower edge part may first be folded in, making of course a shorter diaper for a very small baby and in this application any of the sockets IAR-ML or I3R or I3L nearest the folded edge are connected with the buttons 9, thus to snugly encircle the childs body before the draw strings BR and 8L are brought forward and tied.

It will now be readily seen that this diaper when applied as described has no metal parts exposed directly to the skin. Very small snaps and sockets can be used throughout, such thatthey do not interfere with any cleansing and' ironing process when laundered.

'I'he snap socket groups |3-I4 not in use are exposed outwardly only and are not positioned in such a way as to bind or chafe eshy parts of a child.

The primary use and purpose of this improved diaper is as described for infants. It is obvious however that in larger sizes for growing youngsters and even for grown-ups this garment may serve very usefully in many cases, for example on persons having sub-normal control of urinal or stool discharge. Also it can serve as an added protective garment for persons having abdominal incisions and convalescing from operations of any nature in theabdominal region.

It will be clearly understood that proportions, kinds ofrmaterial and other details may be varied considerably without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventiton as illustrated and herein described.

It will be understood further that the fastening means of this device, in place of snaps and snap sockets, may comprise buttons and buttonholes in the places designated fox` snaps, Also referring to double thickness of diaper, the seam instead of in the middle as shown may be at either long edge.

I claim:

1. A diaper comprising an elongated rectangular sheet of fabric, one transverse end part of said sheet being tubular, a pair of draw strings inserted in opposite ends of and overlapping each other within the tube, each said string fastened near the opposite opening to which it is inserted, said tubular part comprising a back belt when applied, metallic snap fastening means at the inner side of and at'each corner of the diaper at said belt part, corresponding fastening means fixed at the lower corners, on the outer' side, and arranged to engage the first described fasteners when the lower edge of the diaper is folded up l and over the upper half of the diaper, sets of snap fastener means arranged in predetermined spaced alinement in angular rows extending inwardly from the lower corners and above said corners and in the outer area of the diaper, any pair of transversely registering of said snap means adapted to engage said first described pair of snap fastening means.

2. The structure specined in claim 1, and snap fastener means located in each side edge part, below the tubular part, and arranged to close the alined side edges of the diaper below the belt part, and a removable garter securable to one of said latter fasteners at each side.

CLEOPATRA MARCOS. 

